Nationwide group of art museum directors voices worry that Nasher is being harmed

The Association of Art Museum Directors has issued a sharply worded statement voicing concern about the ongoing stalemate between the Nasher Sculpture Center and its 42-story neighbor, Museum Tower.

At issue is the glare emanating from the highly reflective glass of the tower. Group officials, saying they speak for 220 art museum directors across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, said the glare compromises “the safety and integrity of the [Nasher] art works, both indoors and outside.” They issued the statement on Twitter on Tuesday.

Calls and emails seeking comment from officials for Museum Tower and its owner, the Dallas Police & Fire Pension System, were not returned Wednesday afternoon.

Museum Tower officials have said in the past that they don’t believe the glare is harming the garden, which Nasher officials say has undergone extensive damage. As for the galleries, Museum Tower officials say they have offered a fix to the Nasher roof (which the Nasher opposes) but are considering other fixes as well that they hope to present to the Nasher in the future.

The museum directors group noted that collections such as the Nasher’s “are essential to the fulfillment of a museum’s civic and educational mission” and that it considers “the preservation and care of collections to be a paramount responsibility.”

The group called the Renzo Piano-designed Nasher “an invaluable educational, cultural and economic resource for the people of Dallas and visitors from around the world.” The statement said that reflected light from Museum Tower, has, among other things, “detrimentally affected the art works in the garden, creating a blinding experience for visitors and necessitating the removal of several pieces.” Among those, Pablo Picasso’s Nude Man and Woman was moved from the indoor gallery into storage.

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About Michael Granberry

As a Dallas native, Michael has been particularly intrigued by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, primarily its effect on the psyche of his hometown, and has written award-winning stories on the topic. He was a sixth-grader in Dallas when the assassination occurred. Several classmates were the children of either key eyewitnesses or law enforcement officers whose involvement and/or testimony became critical. He has worked in LA and Washingon, D.C. During his time at The News, he has profiled actresses Renee Zellweger and Morgan Fairchild, brother-actors Owen and Luke Wilson, playwright Beth Henley, CBS newsman Scott Pelley, hockey great Brett Hull and Dallas Cowboys Daryl Johnston and Dat Nguyen, who, at the time, was the only Vietnamese player in the National Football League.

Hometown: Dallas

Education: Michael received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Southern Methodist University, class of 1974.